Phonograph



April 19, 1938. J. o. KLEBER PHONOGRAPH Filed July 21, 1936 INVENTOR Jaakson djilebefl BY Gama-k 6a. 1., /mi

ATTQRNCYS Patented Apr. 19, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE -4Claims.

My present invention relates to phonographs of general application, but is more particularly designed for use of the blind, to facilitate the starting and stopping of the instrument by feel alone.

Among the objects of the invention, are to provide a construction, in general conventional, and with simple and inexpensive accessories by which the tone-arm can be correlated with the starting point of a. record, readily and unerringly, yet without resort to vision, and can be as readily restored to idle position.

In the accompanying drawing in which is shown one of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention;

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the phonograph,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on a larger scale of the standard and gauge element, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the device.

The cabinet illustratively shown is a portable case l0 presenting a motor board II with a turn table l2 thereon, which may be driven from a spring motor or an electric motor (not shown).

At the rear of the motor board, preferably at the rear right corner, is the conventional vertical pivot structure [3 for the tone-arm l4. Said arm has a horizontal pivot l5 at the vertical pivot structure l3, about which it is raised and lowered, in positioning the arm with respect to the record.

Although the invention may be applied to an ordinary phonograph with a diaphragm soundbox, it is preferred to employ a magnetic pick-up unit l6 of any suitable design, which has the usual stylus H. The conventional speed control is shown at It! and the usual brake I9 is shown accessible from the front. Preferably an electric terminal block 20 is. disposed at the front, for plugging in a telephone ear-set. The cover 2! is illustratively shown with a. compartment 22 for records.

According to the invention in its broader as pects, a guide or gauge is provided by which the sound box with its stylus may be properly coordinated by feel or touch with the outer groove of a record of given diameter. Preferably a rest is also provided upon which the tone arm may be disposed in idle position by feel or touch of a blind person. In a preferred embodiment the guide or gauge and the rest are combined in a unitary structure.

In the specific embodiment shown, a. standard 23 rises from the motor board, laterally of the turn table. This standard is illustratively a strip of suitable sheet metal, aflixed at its intumed foot 24 by screws 25 to the motor board. The strip rises vertically upward and is turned inward at its upper end to form a horizontal top or rest 26 for the tone-arm when in idle position. The

tone-arm of conventional channel cross section 5 may thus be straddled over the rest 26, which is preferably of length such as to fit snugly between the lateral flanges l4 and M of the channel bar. 1

After placing the record 21 upon the turn table, 10

the device is set into operation by simply lifting the tone-arm l4 off the standard 23, and moving it inward slightly, to cause the right flange l 4 of the tone-arm to slide along the inner edge 26 of the standard rest, which thus serves as a 15 25 Preferably the record has a. non-playing starting groove 28 at the rim, of pitch considerably higher than that of the playing groove 29. It is also possible to provide a plurality of independent convolute playing grooves on the same face of 30 the record each groove having its own starting groove the latter having identifying marks at their inlets which are distributed peripherally of the record. It is with the starting groove 28 or the selected starting groove where more than 5 one is used, that the stylus is brought into cooperation. When the stylus has been thus positioned the user releases the brake iii to set the phonograph into operation. Clearly the tonearm is just as easily brought into the idle posi- 40 tion shown in Fig. 2, after use.

It is, of course, understood that the device could be so constructed that the stylus comes into direct engagement with the playing grooves,

but by reason of the low pitch of the latter such 45 cooperation is more difiicult than with the use of the high pitch starting groove 28 shown'and described.

It will thus be seen that there is herein described apparatus in which the several features '50 of this invention are embodied, and which apparatus in its action attains the various objects of the invention and is well suited to meet therequirements of practical use.

As many changes could be made in the above 55 In this manner 20 construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A phonograph including a motor board, a turn table, a tone-arm having a vertical pivot axis at the rear of said motor board and having a horizontal pivot axis about which said arm is lowered in bringing the same into coaction with a record on the turn table, said arm being concave at its lower surface, and a standard rising from said motor board contiguous to the periphery of the turn table and straddled by the hollow of said tone-arm.

2. A phonograph comprising a motor board, a turn table thereon, a vertical pivot axis, a tonearm movable thereabout said tone-arm having a horizontal axis about which the main length thereof is adapted to be raised and lowered, a sound box at the forward end of said tone-arm and having a stylus, a sheet metal standard secured to said motor board and having a laterally turned upper end adjacent to and above said turn table, said tone-arm being channel shaped in cross section and resting upon said standard, the edge of said standard serving as a gauge to guide the tone-arm for positioning the stylus with respect to a record of definite diameter on the turn table.

3. A phonograph comprising a motor board, a turn table thereon, a vertical pivot mount near the rear of the motor board, a tone-arm movable thereabout, a horizontal axis carried by said mount about which said tone-arm is movable, a sound box at the forward end of said tone-arm and carrying a stylus, a sheet metal standard affixed to said motor board and rising therefrom, said standard having a flat top, said tone-arm being channel shaped in cross section and in inactive position, resting over the top of said standard, the inner edge of said standard top serving as a gauge to guide the tone-arm into proper corelation with the rim of a record on said turn table.

4. A phonograph including a motor board, a turntable, a tone arm having a vertical pivot axis at the rear of said motor board and having a horizontal pivot axis about which said arm is lowered in bringing the same into coaction with a record on the turntable, a sound box at the free end of said tone arm, a standard rising from said motor board contiguous to the periphery oi! the turntable, said sound box being at a greater distance from said pivot axis than is said standard, said standard having a platform upon which said tone arm may be rested in idle position, the side of said standard nearest said turntable constituting a guide to aid in positioning said tone arm in correct starting position with respect to a record of definite diameter on said turntable.

JACKSON 0. KLEBER. 

